When I first received the brief, my first thoughts were that it was very open to interpretation, as long as the initial idea drew from the style of traditional gargoyles. Due to the open brief I felt I could experiment with creative ideas and stretch the brief as far as possible. As an artist it is important for me to explore different ideas and concepts that might be considered ‘pushing’ it, because in the future when I decide to get a job, this could be what makes me noticeable. On the other hand, to begin with I was over ambitious with my concept, believing I could do lots of iterations in Zbrush and show development through 3D. I struggled with learning how to use the package because of outside time restraints, which means I iterated in Photoshop instead, which is my comfort zone. Despite this I feel that I have progressed a lot and I feel comfortable using 3D, more so now than I did to begin with.
Zbrush itself is a fantastic way to get into 3D, the software package is beginner friendly and the interface is easy to read, with helpful hints all along the way. I was first taught 3D in Maya, which was an overwhelming software package which made me despise 3D with every ounce of being. However, this Zbrush project has opened my eyes to how simple 3D can be and from my perspective it has greatly increased my desire to work more in 3D. Because the software package we used was very simple, this helped me focus more on how I can develop the creative side of my work without worrying about the technical side such as 'extruding'; my knowledge of the software does not restrict my creativity in Zbrush.
My designed changed throughout the project but this is not necessarily a bad thing. I have showed development of ideas and cultural influences through these changes. In my final piece I would have liked to make an eccentrically designed pauldron, however due to my lack of understanding of the program, this lead me to keep it simple in design. I explored a range of tools to aid me in decorating the simplistic armour that I chose and I believe this benefited my design, as if it was too elaborate then it might have looked over the top. I spent a lot of the time sculpting the body and trying to get it anatomically correct because in the start I was going to sculpt a whole body. Though it is not technically part of the gargoyle, it is evidence of my development in 3D and taking on board of skills. While other students may be influenced by traditional gargoyles and the mythology behind it, I was more influenced by the contemporary arts, which range from abstract art to futuristic fashion design. Being different is what makes the future and my design is very different, but there is nothing bad that can come from pushing a concept. Overall I'm happy with how my final piece turned out, and the journey I took reaching this point.
